#waffler

*wet tech*

Director: I want you to call this sound cue right after the last sound cue after he says this word and the next cue will play throughout his monologue 

Stage Manager: Okay no problem

*practices calling cue, director loves it*

*the next day* *first dress*

Director: HOLD. Why did you call that cue after the last sound cue?

Stage Manager: Because that is how you said you wanted it.

Director: No. I want you to wait until the actor is done with his line.

Stage Manager:  *internal screaming* *looks at board ops*

I really like this scene and think it’s cute, but I’m thinking of taking it a different direction... Hmmm...

“If you don’t agree to my demands,” Stretch lowered his voice, making a move to pull away, “I will be forced to ignore your request. No suit, and especially no tie.”

Edge’s grip on his shirt kept him from getting too far away, and they stared at each other in silence. Edge finally let out an angry huff, looking incredibly annoyed as he pushed his husband away. “You’re lucky you look so handsome in a suit, or I wouldn’t even consider this- this- coercion!”

Stretch wanted to laugh and tease Edge, pretend that comment didn’t leave him feeling butterflies, but he toyed with the strands of his hoodie strings instead. He knew it was juvenile, but he asked anyway, “You, uh- you think... I’m...  handsome? A little bit?”

Edge seemed taken aback by that, looking at him oddly, “I have very high standards. Any potential partner would need to meet them before I would even consider going on a date.”

That sounded a lot like a yes. They had gone on several dates over the years, so that was a good sign. (And marriage was a positive, right?) “But, um...” Wow, this was embarrassing, but it was a good thing if you wanted your spouse to like you and think you looked good, right? “You’ve never even seen me in a suit. How... how do you know I’ll look good?”

“Why?” Edge looked troubled for a moment, “Is it a Zoot suit or some sort of crazy pattern? Ugh, of course you would! Well, no matter.” He sighed dramatically, “I suppose if you manage to still look attractive in that ratty old hoodie, then even a zebra zoot suit would-“

Ended up cutting this out, but it’s still amusing! <3

“Just try to tolerate it, please? If you say anything mean to him, even if he is being incredibly annoying, Papy is going to be crushed!” Edge bit down on his tongue before he could say anything snappy, rolling his eye lights in growing irritation. “It’s not all bad, is it? I can’t imagine having my brother trip over himself to make you happy and show his love is that much of a hardship-“

The things he put up with for Stretch’s sake. He was the best husband!

“I’m sure if you change your perspective, you might even /enjoy/ all the attention! Just try to-“

“Yes, yes, okay,” Edge couldn’t keep himself from snapping, but at least he didn’t say anything too nasty, “Thank you. For the information.”

“You should probably go,” Blue replied shortly, “Or you’re going to make Papy worry. I hope you’ll at least try to enjoy your evening. I’m sure my brother put a lot of effort into making it fun for you.”

Oh, Blue was absolutely infuriating! Stretch would have to forgive him this one trick.

“Is my brother there?” Edge asked suddenly, “He’s been ignoring my messages...”

“Oh! Again?” There was some shuffling from the other end of the line, “Yes, hang on- Red!” He held the receiver away from his face as Blue started yelling, “Red! Come here! Your brother wants to talk to you-“

“No, I can’t!” Edge was quick to clarify, managing to mask his devious glee as hurried concern, “Stretch is waiting for me, so give him this message-“

“Just leave it in his voicemail!” Blue still sounded like he was looking for Red, “I’ll make sure he listens to it! I don’t like playing messenger between you two-“

“Please?” Edge wasn’t his little brother, but Red and Blue shared a lot of the same weaknesses. And Edge had plenty of practice in manipulating Red. “I know we don’t always get along, but I really need your help right now-“

“Fine, fine!” Hehe, softy! “What do you want me to tell him?”

Scrapped dialogue, but I still thought it was cute. :C 

“Nothing!” Stretch thought back very hard, but there was nothing he wanted to confess. He was terrible at keeping secrets, and his conscience had him breaking pretty quickly, anyway. “I didn’t do anything bad! There’s nothing weird about me! And I did what you asked me to do earlier. I’ve actually been a good boy.”

Edge blinked, eyes widening in obvious surprise as he gasped, “You took out the trash?! And brought in the mail? Without me having to remind you?”

“Yeah, just a little bit before you got home today,” Stretch closed his eyes and hummed pensively, “And I know you’ve been asking me to clean my papers from your living room tables for like ever, so I finally did that. And I organized the ones by the new flower table, too, so now there’s space for even more flowers! You’re welcome.”

Edge (gently) broke free, putting his back flush against the counter as he stared at Stretch like he was a ghost. “Who are you?”

Stretch sighed, slipping his hands into his hoodie pocket, “Yeah, yeah, hilarious, but next time I don’t do this stuff immediately, remember your immediate reaction is to make fun of me and accuse me of breaking things-“

“So sensitive!” Edge grabbed his cheekbones, using his thumbs to literally massage the frown off of his husband’s face, “Thank you for finally doing what I’ve been nagging you to do for months!” He rubbed at the top of his head like he was a dog, “A very good boy!”

He couldn’t help smiling at that, rolling his eyes good-naturedly, “Maybe I’ll actually sort through my old boxes if you get me a treat.”

“Hah! I’ll believe it when I see it!” Edge laughed at that, and strangely enough, Stretch actually felt kind of motivated to do it. Huh.

I ended up going a different route with the chapter, but I still really like! 

Stretch swept him into a big hug, “I’ve got a great idea! Just don’t think about it.”

Edge wrapped his arms around him in turn, but there was something melancholy about that smile, “A good idea. Thank you-“

“Because it’s not true!” Stretch gave him a squeeze,  gently massaging his husband’s shoulders.

“What’s not true?” Edge was starting to lose track of this conversation, closing his eyes with a sigh as he rested his forehead on Stretch’s broad shoulder blade.

“Whatever you’re stressing out about,” Stretch sighed, “The point is it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, because they don’t know you the way I do. Does Blue know how much you secretly love the Young and the Restless?”

He felt Edge tense in his arms, sharp claws dig into his back in clear warning, “No! And he never will, or it will be the last thing you ever say! And I do not ‘love’ it-“

“Does Comic know how much you like to snuggle when you’re sleepy?” Stretch punctuated that question with a gentle kiss to his forehead, “How on weekends, it’s not me who keeps us in bed until eleven? Sometimes even noon?”

“N-no, and don’t you dare tell him! That’s just between us, forever! As if you ever complained-“

“Does Black know about your volunteer work at the Youth Club?” He continued gently, cutting Edge off, “About how you never forget any one of those kids birthdays, and that for at least two of them, that card you got them was the only thing they got?”

“No? He doesn’t know anything about me.”

A sweeter scene in Cele-Brat-ion! that didn’t make the cut... but still amused me! X3

It was necessary, and I stand by my actions- I won’t apologize for any of them.” Edge was resolute, eyeing Classic and Comic cooly. His expression softened as he turned to look at his husband, “But I /am/ sorry for taking this night away from you.”

Under the table, Stretch felt a hand lay itself over his and intertwine their fingers. “I know you were excited about it.”

“Aw shucks.” Taking advantage of Edge’s guilt to press a kiss against his cheek, Stretch shrugged it off, “Yeah, well, it was something that you had to do, right?” He grinned, “And it has been an exciting night, so I can’t say I’ve been disappointed.”

“Gross.” Red managed to leer and look disgusted at the same time, leaning on his elbows heavily, “Getta room, lovebirds.”

Flushing in mortified embarrassment, Edge pushed his husband away by his face until there was a foot of space between them. Stretch accepted this new status quo with only a soft sigh. He didn’t even have Comic to sling an arm around anymore.

/“Shut up!”/ Blue shoved Red away with an aggravated sigh, massaging his face, “Stop making everything worse!”

/“Chato!”/ Red stuck his tongue out in response, an easy grin on his face as he stretched out luxuriously in Black’s old spot. He winked at Stretch, knees practically touching in this new spot. “Stop makin’ everythin’ /borin’!/ Yer a....” He squinted as though deep in thought, “Wet party... man!”

Blue was fuming, “I am not!”

“Oh, I thought it was rather sweet!” Classic was obviously trying to avoid an argument, turning a reassuring smile to Edge, “It’s nice to see couples express nice, soft gestures of affection! Especially you two, too!”

Edge looked at him oddly, /“Especially/ us?”

“S’cuz y’ain’t give the hubby ‘nough lovin’!” Red slung a friendly arm around Stretch’s shoulders, pulling him into a headlock as he squished his cheeks, “Tell ya /coitado/ ya love him!”

“/I/ didn’t say /anything!”/ Stretch clarified, cheeks still being crushed.